Definition

Relating to a single vowel sound that does not change during its pronunciation, unlike a diphthong which combines two vowel sounds.

Example

In phonetics, the term 'monophthongal' describes vowels that are pronounced with a single, unchanging sound.

Conversation

I heard that some accents are more monophthongal than others.

Really? I never noticed that before.

Yeah, it means they pronounce vowels as single sounds.

That makes sense; I guess I’ll pay more attention to it now.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Monophthongal → It is formed from "mono-" (meaning single or one) and "phthongos" (from Greek, meaning sound or voice) and the suffix "-al" (meaning pertaining to). The word "monophthongal" refers to sounds that consist of a single vowel sound, as opposed to a diphthong which combines two vowel sounds.

Memory Tip

Think of 'mono-' meaning 'one' and 'phthongos' meaning 'sound' — this helps you remember that 'monophthongal' refers to a single vowel sound.

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